Animal-trap.



L. MORRIS. ANIMAL TRAP. APYPLIOATION FILED JULY 23, 1910.

992,232. 1 Patented May 16,1911.

UNrrED s'raras rafrnnfr orrron.

LEOPOLD MORRIS, 0F VICTORIA, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-THIRD T0 JOI-IN J.WELDER, SR., AND ONE-THIRD TO JAMES J. MURPHY, SR., OF VICTORIA, TEXAS.

ANIMAL-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 16, 1911.

Application med my 23, 1910. serial No. 573,443.

To all whom 'it may. concern:

Be it known that I, LEOPOLD MORRIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Victoria, in the county of Victoria and State of Texas, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in an Animal-Trap, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in animaltraps, the object being to provide a trap with a top which is formed ofa plurality of segmental plates pivotally mounted in such a manner thatwhen an animal steps onto one of the same, the plate will drop under itsweight so as to throw the animal within the body of the trap.

Another object of the invention is to provide a trap which isexceedingly simple and cheap in construction and one in which thesegmental plates forming the top or plat- `form can be easily andquickly placed in position or detached from the body of the trap.

A still further object of the invent-ion is to provide the interior ofthe trap with a circular guard arranged under the platform parallel withthe outer wall of the trap in such a manner that it will be impossiblefor an animal to escape by crawling up the side and out under one of theplatforms.

A further object of the invention is to provide each of the segmentalplatforms with a bait holding hook, which is so constructed that a pieceof bait can be readily placed on the same and held in such a positionthat it will b-e impossible for the animal to reach the same withouttripping one of the platforms.

With these various objects in view, my invention consists in the novelfeatures of construction, combination and arrangement of partshereinafter fully described, pointedA out in the claims and shown in theaccomtrap under the flange B are rods C provided with apertured endsthrough which extends a ring D which is preferably formed of wire andhas its ends twisted together as clearly shown at D', said wire formingpintles for the hinged platforms as will be later described.

Mounted above the'flange B are a plurality of segmental platesE formingplatforms, each plate being provided with an eye member F forming ahinge through which the ring D is adapted to pass so as to secure theplates in position upon the top of the trap in such a manner that when aweight is placed upon the plates to the inside of their pivot points,the plates will drop so that in case an animal steps upon the same, theplates will tilt and throw the animal into the body of the trap. 'Iherods C serve the purpose of supporting the ring D and holding the eyes Fapart in such a manner that all danger of the segmental platformbecoming caught when tilted is prevented. The points of the segmentalplates are cut off so as to form a circular opening in the top and eachplatform carries a depending bait holding hook Gr upon which a piece ofbait is adapted to be placed and supported below the platforms so thatwhen an animal' endeavors to reach the bait the platforms will tilt. Theside edges of the platforms are reduced as shown at E so as to preventthe same from binding when two of the platforms are tilted at the sametime and it will be seen that by this construction each of the platformswork independently and are .so mounted that it will be impossible for arat or animal of any kind to get o of the same when the platform istilted.

Arranged within the trap concentric to the wall of the same is a guardring I which is preferably formed of sheet metal and is carried by therods C in such a manner that it will be impossible for a rat to climb upthe wall of the trap and out under one of the platforms when the same istilted by another animal entering the trap.

The platforms are so mounted that they will be normally held in ahorizontal position in suchl a manner that when an animal passes uponany one of the platforms and endeavors to reach the bait, the weight ofthe animal will tilt the platform as clearly shown in Fig. 2 so that theanimal will slide into the body of the trap and be retained.

The body of the trap is provided with a hinged door J so that theanimals caught can be removed therefrom and the trap is so constructedthat the same can beplaeed in a hole in the ground flush with thesurface so that an animal passing over the same will be thrown into thetrap or the same can be placed adjacent the animals hole and used in theordinary manner.

lVhat I claim is:

l. An animal trap comprising a reticulated Cylindrical body having aflange atA its upper edge forming a rectangular opening, rods extendinginwardly from the outer wall of said body at the corners of said openinghaving apertured ends, a plurality of segmental plates arranged uponsaid body provided with eyes at their side edges, a ring extendingthrough said eyes and openings of said rods, a cylindrical guard ringunder said rods and depending bait hooks carried by the points of saidplates.

2. As a new article of manufacture an animal trap Comprising areticulated body having a plurality of segmental plates mounted thereon,each plate having its apex cut away so as to form a central opening andprovided with a depending hoop, depending eyes carried by the side edgesof said plates, rods eX- tending inwardly from the wall of said bodyprovided with apertured ends adapted to register with the eyes of theplates, a ring extending through said rods and eyes having its endsconnected and a cylindrical guard arranged within said body below saidrods.

LEOPOLD MORRIS.

Vitnesses L. N. Horan, I. E. RATCLIFF.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents eaoh, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, n. c.

